Of Red Clouds & Leaves
by Amber Treelights
Summary: A series of Akatsuki Crack drabbles and ficlets. Mostly DeiIno, ZetsuHina, HidaHina, and maybe some SasoSaku.
1. The Artist's View

**"The Artist's View"**

**DeiIno**

* * *

_We're interrupted by the heat of the sun  
Trying to prevent what's already begun  
You're just a body  
I can smell your skin  
And when I feel it, you're wearing thin_

He'd been at it for a while now. Just gazing at her face, scrutinizing it, almost. She sat frozen as she couldn't pull up a single real reaction. He could see the lingering fear in her eyes; it'd only been a few days since she'd become theirs, after all. It made sense, that she would still have that fear, and would probably have it for quite some time.

To be honest, he hadn't a single desire to hurt her. All he wanted was the truth. There was something about her, he couldn't explain: perhaps it'd been the azure hue in her eyes, the way she wore her blonde hair in almost the same way he did. He didn't know, really. But she'd captured him in a way he couldn't understand.

She was beautiful.

And for the first time in his life, his own perspectives on beauty, true beauty, had been challenged. For the first time…he'd caught himself admiring something that he didn't want to pass by in a fleeting instant. He'd wanted to hold on to this beauty.

Ever so gently, he traced his fingers over her lips, her cheeks, the bridge of her nose. He continued to stare into that pure blue. He brushed back the blonde hair of hers he'd taken down from its usual look. He said nothing. Once she continued to only stare back, frozen, he trailed his fingers down her shoulders, brushing over her soft skin. Earlier, he'd removed her clothes, left only bandages covering the more sacred parts of such a body.

He didn't want to frighten her too badly. Because his intentions were merely to discover _why _she did the things she did to him. And while she'd pitched quite a little fight at first, she remained still now.

Though, it didn't take much at all to see that she was still afraid.

He paused a moment before letting his hands breeze slowly back up, to her shoulders again; the tongues, he kept hidden away for now. God, she was beautiful. He'd seen plenty of beautiful women in his days, but none as mesmerizing as she. Was he truly so vain, as to have to find one as eerily reminiscent of himself, to feel like this?

The thought brought a small smirk to him. He felt the body under his hands flinch, such a small reaction, however, that he was surprised even he'd noticed. But nevertheless, he hesitantly, and finally brought his lips closer, centimeters from hers, feeling the proximity, but not closing the deal yet. Honestly, he'd rather wait for a time when she'd be willing to kiss him back.

"It's okay," he softly told her. "You're safe…for now."

_Why don't you be the artist, and make me out of clay?  
Why don't you be the writer, and decide the words I say?  
'Cause I'd rather pretend  
I'll still be there at the end  
Only it's too hard to ask... won't you try to help me?_

_

* * *

_**Song: "The Writer" by Ellie Goulding.**

**I must say, DeiIno is probably my favorite Akatsuki crack pairing.(: I might even rewrite this, from Ino's perspective, for a future shot!**

**Thanks for reading! Feedback is very appreciated!  
**


	2. Who She Belonged To

**"Who She Belonged To"**  
**SasoSaku**

* * *

She loved him.

It was insane, really. Something she wished had never happened; but at the same time, she could barely imagine a life without him now. Perhaps it was due to that happiness, just knowing that for the first time in a long time, she had someone to hold, and someone who would hold her back. Perhaps it was due to that thrill, remembering that not long ago, he was an enemy, and even now, he was deadly.

He had such a way of doing the things he did: that terrifyingly seductive whisper he'd breathe into her ear, that complete control he'd cast over her, both physically and emotionally. She never went even a moment without remembering that she was his. Completely, and utterly his.

And if anyone should ever try to change that, he'd make them wish they'd never even come into this world.

Oh, how she loved him!

She'd often asked herself, though, _how _she could love him, how it'd been possible for the two of them to be what they were now. Why, only a few years ago, his life had been put to a brutal end, by her. She could remember the look on his face, that crazed expression when they'd faced off, no desire greater in his heart, than the desire to kill, add her to the other dead shinobi he'd used in such precise craftsmanship – the human puppet.

But as she gazed at him now, living, breathing (as the others had saved him, but only with the option of giving him life again, real human life), all she saw was a sleeping face of peace. He was everything she could ever want.

She watched him sleep for just a while, before lowering herself down again to close her own eyes, rest her forehead against his own, feel those locks of soft, deep, pink. Such a different shade than her own, but pink nonetheless. She loved it so. As their naked bodies rested side by side, his hand reached up to touch the arm of the girl he wanted so badly, even in dreams. But at such feelings, she moved away from him again, sitting up in the bed they shared and wrapping her arms around herself gently.

Why had this happened?

Why did he love her?

Why did she love him?

He was dead. She killed him. She and Lady Chiyou…his own grandmother.

Oh, if she knew. If she could see them now. What would she think? They'd fought so hard to end his life, both of them side by side, and even in the end…the lady's old life had been snatched right from her. Sure, she'd chosen to sacrifice herself, but it simply wasn't the point! If not for _him_…she'd still be alive. She wouldn't have had to use every ounce of herself. If not for the pink-haired man sleeping next to her.

Oh, if she knew.

Tightly, the cherry blossom held her eyes shut, trying to avoid such thoughts, destroy the guilt in her heart, the truth, that every moment she lived now, she was showing more disrespect than she'd ever shown in her lifetime. She had made that sacrifice…worthless. And softly, oh so softly, she could do nothing but allow each hateful, guilt-ridden tear to run down her face.

She couldn't do this any longer. She had to run.

But as soon as she slid her naked body out from under those sheets, and turned to the side of the bed, she felt the soft grasp of the man she most desperately needed to escape from.

Pausing, for what seemed like eternity, she finally turned to face him. And to her surprise, those maroon eyes only stared back into her jade ones with a type of seriousness she'd yet to see. She swallowed down that choking feeling in her throat. God, she hated loving such eyes. She hated loving him. But she did.

And as if reading her very thoughts, he spoke.

"How possibly, Sakura, could you be hurting her, by bringing happiness to her only grandson?"

Hues wide, the girl nearly felt her heart would cease to beat, with those few words. A silence passed between the two of them. She always seemed to forget, that the strings of hate between any two that once loved another, could never truly be strings of hate.

Finally, the girl blinked, bringing a hand to her cheek as she wiped away the remaining tears.

"I don't know," she whispered back.

Perhaps it'd been the truth in his words. Perhaps it'd been the inability to leave him, no matter how hard she'd try. But only moments later, she'd found herself in his arms again, so very glad that he'd woken up to again remind her who she belonged to.

* * *

**Honestly, I had no idea I'd make a SasoSaku one this quickly. It just sort of happened. But in any case, I hope it's liked!**

**Oh, and just a reminder - NONE of these pairings I write here are in the same universe. If it's DeiIno, all the other girls are in Konoha. If it's SasoSaku, all the other girls are in Konoha. I do NOT write stories that involve every girl being with Akatsuki at the same time. That's stupid. Too stupid to fathom. **

**Soooo in THIS particular shot, just pretend the previous one doesn't exist. Until more DeiIno comes your way. ;) Same with all the others.**

**Thanks for reading! Feedback is appreciated!  
**


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